Jasper Rocks Tangled Dreams

Out of all the wolves in the pack, there were only two who Amaryllis hadn’t really meet yet. One of the seawolves who had returned after a long absence, which part of her was glad for Pip that he had returned but also wasn’t sure about because he had left, along with the others and made the young mute girl fall into a depressed state once she had realised they had all left her.  

The other was someone who she knew was important to Veho, as it was his scent that lingered on the silver eyed man the most whenever the other male wasn’t some sort of ghost that both did and did not linger within the Cedar trees. And Amaryllis felt like out of the two, that this @Rook was the more important one to meet right now.

The howl died in her throat shortly after it was released, just a simple unhurried may we talk, if not busy? As her pale eyes roamed around the area before her, of blank snow, bare trees and snow covered rocks, wishing there was something for her to fress but winter still had its icy grip on the land, even if spring was only a few weeks away. And didn’t that frighten her, now she was leader. She knew it wasn’t expected of her to have pups, just as it was not expected of any of the other females within the pack but it still worried her if there weren’t any pups to take care of during the spring. Part of her knew there should be pups in spring, for the pack to care for and to expand the pack. And an even smaller part of her wanted pups, to see this litter of pups grow up to adults and feel safe instead of leaving them behind.

But she shook those thoughts away, as she shook out her pelt. If the topic of pups came up, she would talk to someone about it but for now, she had to focus on waiting for Rook as she waited near the medicinal den.

Since constructing a den for @Veho, Rook had spent a great deal of his time trying to make it perfect in anticipation for Spring. He couldn't help but shake the feeling, however, that it wasn't the moss or leaves he brought back that would make it feel complete. For hours, thus far, the feeling tugged at his chest and gnawed at his brain. It hadn't occurred to him what was tuly missing until he accidentally placed his paw right where @Tomen and @Nineva's own tracks had been. They would be full-grown soon, the two of them; Veho and Oula's cubs were already catching up in size and weight. It wasn't enough to curl up with the medicine man within the partially underground hideout. There needed to be something more than love... the sounds of little paws, the squeaks and whines of new life... evidence of his and Veho's family.

He had been staring listlessly at the empty tunnel in the ground when a call had summoned him. At first, he gave a start, nearly certain that it had been a gust of wind whistling through the trees or he hadn't heard his partner properly. However, there was no mistake and there was no sudden gale to nip at his nose and eyes. He stood up and circled about, his brow furrowing as he continued along his own path through the hard-packed snow.

When it had dawned on him that he was being called out towards Jasper Rocks, he steeled himself. Surely, by how she had worded her invitation, there should have been no cause for alarm; and, yet, he stood there, concealed behind a cluster of trees, wondering if he had done something he shouldn't have. His ears flicked back. It was not Crystal, though, who had asked for his company. He swallowed hard, lifted his chin up a bit as he ought to - as Veho's second-in-command - and began to walk. His tail gave a hesitant wave but as he came to realize that it was someone he knew of but didn't exactly know. When she had come to Grizzly Hollow, Rook was preoccupied, way too engrossed with his sister-in-law's disappearance, worrying about what his presence meant to Oula while she cared for the cubs, and still sorely grieving his father's death. He had moved past all that now; and, all that remained was the sheer concern and curiosity on his face.

"Hello," he greeted her, his tone airy as if he might give too much away if he spoke too much, too loudly. This wasn't to say that he was guarded, but he had also been unaware of the power shift between the women of Grizzly Hollow. There could have been a twinkle in his eye, the inquisitiveness getting the better of him as he slowly approached her. He fought to keep up an amiable smile, every move conveying to her that he was open to the idea of conversation. This was how he would distract himself from thinking more about his and Veho's little burrow. "What would you like to talk about?"

He gave his head a brief shake, as if a moth had landed on his ear. Well, that wouldn't do... "I-I'm sorry-" he took a deep breath and slowly sat down close to her, wanting to show her that he was glad to have a chat. "That was rude of me. I suppose I ought to ask how you are first." He gave her an apologetic smile, his left paw lifting just as a nervous human might clutch their hand into a fist and hold it close to their chest. "How are you?"

(This post was last modified: Feb 21, 2017, 12:57 AM by Rook.)

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

At first, she didn’t noticed the dark man coming towards her until he spoke, her mind having wandered elsewhere as she waited and her eyes having both focused and unfocused on the ground before her paws. Hello, his greeting was airy and light yet still startled her as it floated by her ears, swinging her head around to face him while he came towards her. What would you like to talk about? The question hung in the air as he came to sit beside her, Amaryllis feeling a wave of nervousness come off him as his left paw lifted up towards his chest. He then shook his head and apologized, saying that it was rude of him and he should have asked how she was first. Which he then proceeded to ask.

How are you?

“That’s, it’s okay,” Finally finding her voice, after being somewhat startled, Amaryllis cleared her throat and steeled herself before answering his question. “I suppose I’m fine, with all that’s happening right now anyway.” What with Yvly’s sudden and unexpected handing over of leadership and not really saying why as of yet, or...what had happened between them just the few days before. If prompted, she would explore the reasons behind why she was supposedly fine right now, though she would perhaps keep her confession to herself and only mention the leadership change if pressed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you, it’s just...” Her tail swished behind her nervously as she spoke. “We’ve never formally met and with all that’s happened lately, I thought it might be nice to...at least say hello and introduce myself. Perhaps have a small chat, if you feel up to it.” It hadn’t gone unnoticed the open mix of concern and curiosity on his face, most likely to do with why she had called him out here. And perhaps, she should have picked a better spot other then the medicinal den. What with the possible connotations it could bring. However, she also allowed a small smile to make it’s way onto her lips, settling down on her own haunches when he sat beside her. It was to be nothing truly personal, just a simple meet and greet, with some chatting, as she had told him. From his posture coming towards her, he had given out some signals he wouldn’t mind talking, though she wouldn’t keep him if he didn’t wish to stay. Ducking her head down and flicking her ears forward, she introduced herself first.

“I’m Amaryllis, I am - was - training to become a healer. Though if you’d like, you may call me Lily.” It was a habit now, to offer her nickname as an option to those she knew were part of the pack. “How are you? I hope I didn’t tear you away from anything important?” She would feel guilty if she had taken him away from his duty, just to say hello.    

(This post was last modified: Feb 22, 2017, 12:14 PM by Amaryllis.)

She apologized for worrying him, going on to mention that she simply wanted to say hello and introduce herself. Rook's paw lowered back to the ground. He replied to her little snippet about feeling up for a chat with a quiet, thoughtful "Sure," and a wag of his tail. Her head came down and Rook turned away, not wanting to stare or even provoke the idea that he harbored any intentions of challenging her. He focused on her paws before allowing his eyes to flit upward again as to see her enunciate her name.

Amaryllis. Just like the flower, he was quick to note. Lily.

His aunts Sibyl and Aniu came to mind, but they were quickly whisked away as it fully dawned on him that she had been training to become a healer. He briefly wondered if Veho had taken some part of her recruitment, if she had been around at the time when Borden's health had started to deteriorate or if she had been his partner's apprentice. The idea of the two of them learning more about plants scurried across his mind. He had first come to Relic Lore to heal his father; then, without warning, life had seized him with other things he had only ever thought and felt in his wildest dreams. Maybe this was another chance to start learning again - with a friend.

"No..." he stalled as he took interest at the unscathed part of her face. "No, nothing important." He recovered his little simper, the upward tilt of his corners of his mouth much warmer than before. "I'm-- unsure if you know me as Rook or Merlin, but you're welcome to use either. My parents called me Rook; I'd like to think it matches my older brother's names - Ryvet and Renier - but I was named to be a companion to my sister, Bishop."

"Lily, though, is a lovely name. My aunts used to tell me that the flower, when given, was a token of friendship."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

“I’m glad,” She lifted her head up from its dipped position as a small smile crossed her maw. She was glad to have not torn him away from anything too important, though she still felt a little guilt because he still must have been in the middle of something. “I think I’ve heard mentions of both, though truthfully I’ve simply been calling you Rook within my own head.” With a swish of her tail, she noticed his eyes were settled on the side of her face without her scars. But it didn’t bother her. Her scars were a part of her but she knew they could make others feel uncomfortable. There was a scar on his nose, if she looked close enough and she did but her eyes flicked back up to his mismatched eyes - Just like Felix but more vibrant-   At the mention of older brothers. She remembered meeting a wolf a while back, when she got the scar on her flank and he mentioned he had a brother named Rook.

“I think I’ve met one of your brothers, when I got this scar.” Gesturing to the scar on her scarred left flank, she quickly realised how what she said could be taken the wrong way. “Not that he gave it to me mind you. A tree fell on me and I just managed to escape getting squashed by it. He was nearby and got me some herbs so I could stop the bleeding.”

“He gave me a message to give you but it was last summer so I don’t know if he got around to telling you himself or not...” She felt utterly guilty for not finding him out sooner to tell him but at the same time, he had been rather recluse or even not around. Though she supposed she could have tried harder in passing the message along...

“Well then, though there’s no actual lilies around at the moment, so may you take my name as a token of our friendship, at least.” She laughed lightly, trying to shake the feeling of being a little flushed at her name being called lovely. It was just a flower, a pretty one that she’d take but nothing she ever really thought to be flattered over. "Rook is certainly an interesting name though, where did it come from?"

(This post was last modified: Mar 05, 2017, 05:52 AM by Amaryllis.)

He simpered at her, already at risk of being whisked away by her charm. She was definitely the amiable sort, the kind of lady Bishop would definitely not approve of when it came to the sort of friends her brother entertained. When she gestured to the scar between her ribs and hip, he tilted his head to one side. Any initial musings of his brother giving her such a mark was cast away with a quick affirmation. A tree had fallen on her and his sibling helped to heal her injury. What was more was that he had also given her a message. It made him briefly frown in thought. He hadn't seen any of his brothers for months now...

Rook shook his head, half-wanting to assume that either Renier or Ryvet had been the one to help her but not even truly bothered. If the message had been important, they would have come around to tell him face-to-face. All other things aside, though, she opened their conversation to a different topic, his name and where it had come from. In all truth, he had simply always been called Rook. Asking his parents why, he realized, had just never come up. His acquired secondary name, Declan, had come from a story about a saintly man who preached the Lord's teachings... or something like that, whatever Kiche mumbled on about back then... And Graham? Another bedtime story hero, just like his pack-related alias Merlin.

"A rook is a bird," he expounded, his voice quiet but still thoughtful. "Like... y'know... a raven, I guess. Huge and noisy black-feathered scavengers from my part of the woods in the north. I guess it was only fitting. My sister and I... kinda got on like birds. I was always the noisy, darker one and she was just... always twittering and making a fuss." His gaze dropped to where a cedar's roots dug deep into the earth and he gave a wistful smile, "She's gone though. Went back home without me. She couldn't see what I saw here."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.

"A bird? That's interesting." She pondered. She knew families like playing with tradition or ran with a theme when nit came to naming pups. Even she had been no exception, when naming her own. "My parents named my siblings and I similarly, though with plants more then animals. My mother always said names held meaning and told us she and my father deliberated for weeks before we were born and even for some time after." And it had become something of a joke between the two, something for the two to tease each other with. you could never decide, even when naming our kids! She fondly remembered her father saying to her mother once, when she had been debating on hunting that day or to go herb collecting. Her interest was piqued when he mentioned his sister 'went back home without me.'


"Went back home?" That surprised her a little but not an awful lot. The sea wolves, when they were here always spoke of home on the coast as if they weren't capable of creating a new one right here in the forest. She supposed it was something for others to cling to, if they didn't think like they belonged or were taken away by force. Not that the sea wolves were in the wrong for wanting to leave and make their way home but they had appeared to have hated living in the cedar forest, as if they had no other choice. "And what do you see here, that she couldn't then?" Amaryllis wanted to hear what it was that drove one sibling away but kept the other here.

(This post was last modified: May 01, 2017, 03:39 AM by Amaryllis.)

For one reason or another, it tickled him to know this about Amaryllis, that her parents believed that names held meanings - like they were secrets of one's own character. To know that she was also apart of some naming 'trend' amused him. Why his parents decided on matching names for their last-born cubs, Rook would never know, but it made him feel special now that he realized it. When she echoed his statement back at him in question, he quietly nodded in return. It was rare to think about Bishop these days and, every so often, when he did, he found that he terribly missed her. On an 'okay' day, it was like his heart would skip beats, like he knew she, too, wasn't having the greatest of days; and, on the days when he felt like apart of him was truly missing just out of the blue, he moped about, homesick to a point where his chest felt hollow but his stomach felt as though it were tied in knots. They had needed the time apart, though. At the time when they had split, she had known him better than any other wolf in the world and yet knew absolutely nothing about him. They had argued when @Namid wasn't around and, often, it was a game of "leave me alone and sleep somewhere else" whenever one or the other tried to curl up beside the already sleeping sibling. For the most part, they fought about worldviews and their father, but they mostly yelled at one another for being so stupidly naive. Without Bishop to compare himself to, Rook believed he had grown, that he had finally taken flight without his sister being there to cage him up and set him back down on his perch. They had been sheltered within Renegades Reach... if only Bishop could have seen that through his eyes.

"Well," he began. "When I was growing up, Grizzly Hollow was nothing but a story. It was a place where nothing bad ever happened. Orphaned cubs were taken in, alliances with other packs were forged, and my parents made it their special place..." He decided to leave out the parts of his father's stories where it proved the Hollow to be a place of challenge and devotion. The single time Borden had ever uttered about the mysterious woman called Vlarindara, he had been half asleep and asking for a sibling that Rook had no desire to bother. His Aunt Sibyl had probably given him something to also sedate him...

"Bishop and I, we just..." his nose wrinkled. "We saw things differently. She maybe thought that me having friends meant competition... distraction. She didn't understand that I came here for our father, to make him better. She just... didn't see." A huff emitted from his chest through his gritted teeth. It still hurt being without her, but without her being there at his shoulder, he had come this far on his own. "Where I saw the possibilities of regaining back what was once ours, she saw nothing but fool's paradise."

Chances are I have a BEN WHISHAW gif for that.